Serena: "I'm ready for the future"

"It [still] feels different," Serena said in quotes reported by the WTA Tour. "It feels good but I'm still getting there, obviously. "Honestly, with everything I've been through my happiest is just being out here.

"This is a good sign for me, now I'm ready for the future. I have high expectations, and I think everyone should set high expectations for themselves."

Williams was drawn to face Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas in her opening contest at Indian Wells, and there is the possibility of a meeting with sister Venus in round three.